54-TJK-12-PR34090, custodial operations and maintenance of rest areas

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Division 12, is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for custodial operations and maintenance services at the Catawba County Rest Areas located on Interstate 40 at mile marker 136, approximately ten miles east of Hickory, serving both eastbound and westbound lanes. The procurement seeks a qualified contractor to provide comprehensive janitorial and grounds maintenance services for a pair of rest areas with an estimated annual visitation of 846,125 people. Services include cleaning and sanitation of restroom facilities, maintenance of utility and storage buildings, vending machine areas, grounds maintenance, water system operation, sewer line maintenance, and stormwater device maintenance. The contract period runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with optional two additional one-year extensions at NCDOT's discretion, not to exceed three years total. The contractor must provide full staffing from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. daily, seven days per week, with a minimum of one attendant per eight-hour shift (three shifts daily) at each site, plus additional staffing on ten predetermined holidays, with mandatory minimum wage rates of $15.53 per hour for attendants and $20.53 per hour for supervisors. Bidders must submit questions by March 31, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., and the bid opening is scheduled for April 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.; no pre-bid meeting is required, though bidders are encouraged to inspect the sites independently. Award will be made within thirty days of bid opening to the lowest responsible bidder.

There are no Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) participation goals or set-aside designations for this contract, meaning all qualified vendors may respond regardless of business classification. The contract requires a 5 percent performance guarantee for the first contract year, to be held from monthly compensation and refunded upon satisfactory completion, and the contractor must provide comprehensive liability insurance with limits of $5,000,000 per occurrence and general aggregate, naming NCDOT as additional insured, plus maintain workers' compensation coverage. Compensation reductions apply for non-compliance with staffing requirements, safety protocols, cleaning standards, and maintenance repairs, with daily reductions ranging from 10 to 40 percent of daily compensation based on the category of deficiency. Bidders must submit both a lump sum annual price and monthly price for the standard staffing configuration, and must also submit an alternate bid item for reduced staffing (8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., two shifts daily) in case of budget restrictions; failure to submit both options will result in bid rejection. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the procurement documents; pricing will be determined through the competitive bidding process.